Improvement in compositions for fire kindlers and lighters



v v E CLARK Composition for Fire Kindlers and Lighters.

Patented Nov. 25,1879.

INVENTOB WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

TO LITHQGRAFHER. WASNiNGTON D O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD CLARK, OE JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIM SELF AND ROBERT DONSHEA, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN COMPOSITIONS FOR FIRE KINDLER AND LIGHTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,012, dated November 25, 1879 application filed October 23, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CLAR K, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Composition for Fire Kindlers and Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

Figure l is a perspective view'of a fire-kindler made ofmy improved composition. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another form of my improved fire-kindler. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional side elevations of fire-lighters made of my improved composition.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre hereinafter fully described.

In making this composition I first put into a suitable kettle a half -pound of resin, and

apply heat until the resin is fully melted. Any suitable kettle may be used, and heat may be. applied in any convenient way; but I prefer to use a jacketed kettle and melt the resin with steam-heat. WVhen the resin is melted I add one ounce of lard, and stir the compound until the resin and lard are thoroughly mixed. A half-ounce of washiug'soda is then added and thoroughly stirred in. Ahalf ounce of ordinary flour-paste is then added, and the mixture is again thoroughlystirred,after whicha suflicientplantity of sawdust is added to bring the mixture to about the consistcncyof ordinary flour paste. The mixture While still hot is removed from the kettle and poured into molds of any desired capacity and allowed to cool. When cold, the blocks A are removed from the molds, and are ready for market.

If desired, the composition may be subjected to pressure when in the molds, to make the blocks A compact, and thus cause the kindlers to burn longer.

The molds may be cubical, cylindrical, oval, or of any other desired shape, or of any desired size. The composition may also be cooled in paper tubes B, to adapt it to be tied up with bundles of kindling-wood a fire-starter. In this case nopressure is applied to the composition when cooling, and the shrinking of the composition in cooling leaves a flaring hole,

C, in one end of the tube, which facilitates the ignition of the composition. If desired, the cavity in the end of the paper tube B may be filled by pouring in a little more of the composition after the shrinking has taken place.

In this composition the lard thins the resin and causes it to more readily receive and mix with the other ingredients, and also causes the mixture to burn with less smoke than resin without lard. The addition of the washingsoda causes the resin tofoam, and thus separates its particles, so that the particles of sawdust will be more evenly and thoroughlycoated. The flour-paste hardens and toughens the compound, so that the kindlers may be more conveniently handled, and so that the kindlers will not break or crumble during transportation. The paste also retards the burning of thekindlers,- and causes them to burn for a sufficient time to thoroughly ignite coal.

Havin gth us described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-,-

ent

An improved composition for fire-kindlers composed of resin, lard, washing-soda, flourpaste, and sawdust, 1n the proportions and manner substantially as herein shown and de- Witnesses:

J AlVIES T. GRAHAM, G. SEDGwIcK. 

